Baptism According 
to the Scriptures 


REV, JOHN DURRETT 

Author of “Simple Methodism” 










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Baptism According to 
the Scriptures 


Being a Plain Scriptural Account of This 
Much Debated and Abused Subject 
and Not According to Ex¬ 
clusive Immersionists 




BY 

REV. JOHN DURRETT 

\ \ 

Author of “Simple Methodism” 


> ' > 




/ 


Nashville, Tenn.; 

Dallas, Tex.; Richmond, Va.; San Francisco, Cal. 
Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South 
Lamar & barton, Agents 
1923 






Copyright, 1923 
BY 

Lamar & Barton 





Cl A752160 

ML 19’23 




I 


PREFACE. 

Some time ago the writer’s attention was called to 
a leaflet which had been circulated in a Methodist 
community and which had this question conspicuous¬ 
ly displayed: “Were you scripturally baptized, or 
were you sprinkled?” As all can see at a glance, the 
purpose of this leaflet was to create a question mark 
in the minds of Methodists and thus open a way for 
the work of the proselyter. Children of immersion- 
ists are continually nagging children of affusionists 
about “sprinkling.” The time has come for all 
affusionists to know the truth and be able to give a 
“Thus saith the Lord” for the mode of baptism. If 
affusionists were to stoop to such methods and.issue a 
leaflet for free distribution with the question, “Were 
you scripturally baptized, or were you dipped?” 
the immersionists would throw up their hands in 
holy horror and accuse the affusionists with “fight¬ 
ing.” The affusionists have never “fought” over 
this subject except in defense of scriptural baptism 
when the immersionists have pushed themselves 
forward by means often, that were utterly unbrother- 
ly and unchristian. 

The question of water baptism can never be settled 
outside the Bible. The. writer of this booklet has 
conformed to this idea throughout and has so ar¬ 
ranged the Scriptures that any one may get the scrip¬ 
tural view in small compass concerning this much 
abused and debated question. It has been written 

( 3 ) 


4 


BAPTISM. 


with that large number in view to whom the immer- 
sionists make their appeal. 

No apology is made for using the King James ver¬ 
sion in these chapters. This version has been part 
and parcel of the very life and thought of the English 
people for hundreds of years. The “common 
people” will hear it gladly. So mote it be. 

The Author. 


INTRODUCTION FROM THE SCRIPTURES. 

Is the Bible an authority and sufficient guide on 
the study of water baptism? 

“Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to 
salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor 
may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any 
man, that it should be believed as an article of the 
faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salva¬ 
tion.” (Discipline.) 

Psalm cxix. 105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my 
feet, and a light unto my path.” 

Psalm cxix. 99, 100: “I have more understanding 
than all my teachers: for thy testimonies ar# my 
meditation. I understand more than the ancients, 
because I keep thy precepts.” 

John v. 39: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye 
think ye have eternal life: and they are they which 
testify of me.” 

2 Timothy iii. 15-17: “And that from a child thou 
hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to 
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is 
in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration 
of God, and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof, for 
correction , for instruction in righteousness: that the 
man of God may be perfect , thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works.” 

2 Peter i. 20, 21: “Knowing this first, that no 
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpreta¬ 
tion. For the prophecy came not in old time by the 

(5) 


6 


BAPTISM. 


will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were 
moved by the Holy Ghost." 

2 Timothy iv. 1-4: 11 1 charge thee therefore before 
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the 
quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 
preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; 
reprove, rebuke, exhort * with all longsuffering and 
doctrine. For the time will come when they will not 
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall 
they heap to themselves teachers, having itching 
ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the 
truth , and shall be turned unto fables 

Isaiah viii. 20: “To the law 1 and to the testimony:* 
if they speak not according to this word , it is because 
there is no light in them" 

Exclusive immersionists are hard pressed when 
they are forced to go to heathenism and men’s 
theories for proof of their dogma. Greek verbs and 
particles and lexicons have never settled the ques¬ 
tion of water baptism. Suppose we turn to the Bible, 
which should be the “rule of our faith and practice,” 
and let it settle the question. 

“Let God be true, though every man a liar.” 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter I. P AGE . 

The Old Testament Church an Affusion Church. 9 

Chapter II. 

Baptism of John the Baptist.,.. 17 

Chapter III. 

Baptism on the Day of Pentecost.. 25 

Chapter IV. 

Philip and the Eunuch. 29 

Chapter V. 

Baptism of Saul of Tarsus. 33 

Chapter VI. 

The Baptism of Cornelius. 41 

Chapter VIII. 

Baptism of the Jailer at Philippi. 45 

Chapter VIII. 

The Burial Theory. 51 

Chapter IX. 

“Saved by Water;” or, The Figure of the Ark. 59 

Chapter X. 

Baptism According to Agreement.'. 64 


( 7 ) 













8 BAPTISM . 

Chapter XI. Page. 

Baptism of Nations and Households. 70 

Chapter XII. 

Biblical Summary. 76 




CHAPTER I. 

The Old Testament Church an Affusion Church. 

1. When and where was baptism first administered? 
And by whom?- 

1 Corinthians x. 1, 2: “Moreover, brethren, I 
would not that ye should be ignorant , how that all 
our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed 
through the sea; arfd were all baptized unto Moses 
in the cloud and in the sea.” 

2. Was this baptism by immersion or affusion? 

Exodus xiv. 16, 21, 22, 29: “But lift thou up thy 

rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and 
divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry 
ground through the midst of the sea. . . . And 

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the 
Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind 
'all that night, and made the sea dry land , and the 
waters were divided. And the children of Israel 
went into the midst of the sea. upon the dry ground: 
and the waters were a wall unto them on their right 
hand, and on their left. . . . But the children of 
Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea.” 

Exodus xv. 8, 19: “And with.the blast of thy nos¬ 
trils the waters were gathered together, the floods 
stood upright as an heap, and the depths were con¬ 
gealed in the heart of the sea. . . . For the horse of 
Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his 
horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again 

(9) 


10 


BAPTISM 


the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of 
Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.” 

Hebrews xi. 29: “By faith they passed through the 
Red sea as by dry land.” Where was the cloud ? 

Numbers xiv. 14: “For they have heard that thou 
Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen 
face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them , and 
that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar 
of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.” 

The Bible leaves no question as to the mode of this 
baptism: 

Psalm lxxvii. 16-20: “The waters saw thee, O 
God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths 
also were troubled. The clouds poured out water: the 
skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. 
The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the 
lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and 
shook. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the 
great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. 
Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of 
Moses and Aaron.” 

This mode of affusion became the law of the Old 
Testament Church: 

Numbers viii. 5-7: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, 
saying, Take the Levites from among the children of 
Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do 
unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of puri¬ 
fying upon them.” 

Numbers xix. 9, 13, 17-19: “And a man that is 
clean sh&ll gather up the ashes of the heifer, and 
lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it 
shall be kept for the congregation of the children 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


11 


of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification 
for sin. . . . Whosoever toucheth the dead body 
of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, 
defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul 
shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of 
separation was not sprinkled upon him , he shall be un¬ 
clean; his uncleanness is yet upon him. . . . And 
for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of 
the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running 
water shall be put thereto in a vessel: and a clean 
person shall take hyssop , and dip it in the water, and 
sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, 
and upon the persons that were there, and upon him 
that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a 
grave.” 

Hebrews ix. 19: “ For when Moses had spoken every 
precept to all the people according to the law, he 
took the blood of calves and of goats, with water , and 
scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the 
book, and all the people .” 

Psalm li. 7: u Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be 
clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” 

Psalm lxxix. 9: “Help us, O God of our salvation, 
for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge 
away our sins, for thy name’s sake.” 

Seven hundred years after Moses: 

Joel ii. 16: “Gather the people, sanctify the congre¬ 
gation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and 
those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go 
forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.” 

How did they “sanctify” a “congregation”? 

Hebrews ix. 13: “For if the blood of bulls and of 


12 


BAPTISM 


goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean , 
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh.” 

. Eight hundred years after Moses we find: 

Isaiah lii. 15: “So shall he sprinkle many nations; 
the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that 
which had not been told them shall they see; and 
that which they had not heard shall they consider.” 

One thousand years after Moses sprinkling was 
still in use: 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean 
water upon you , and ye shall be clean: from all your 
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” 

In Christ’s day the same manner of purifying was 
in use: 

John ii. 6-8: “And there were set there six water- 
pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the 
Jews , containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus 
saith unto them, . . . Draw out now , and bear 

unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.” 

3. Were there any infants and small children included 
in this first baptism which the Lord himself performed? 

Exodus xii. 37, 38: “And the children of Israel 
j ourneyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred 
thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 
And a mixed multitude went up also with them.” ' 

Numbers iii. 39: “All that were numbered of the 
Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the 
commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, 
all the males from a month old and upward , were 
twenty and two thousand.” 

1 Corinthians x. 2: “And were all baptized unto 
Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


13 


Joel ii. 16: “Gather the people, santify the congre¬ 
gation, assemble the elders, gather the children , and 
those that suck the breasts .” To “sanctify” a “con¬ 
gregation” was to “sprinkle” it. (Hebrew ix. 13.) 

4. What was the design or purpose of the Old Testa¬ 
ment baptism? 

(1) It was the setting apart to a new service. 

1 Corinthians x. 2: “Were all baptized unto 
Moses.” 

Numbers xix. 9: “It shall be kept for the congrega¬ 
tion of the children of Israel for a water of separation.” 

Numbers xix. 13: “That soul shall be cut off from 
Israel: because the water of separation was not 
sprinkled upon him.” 

Numbers xix. 20: “ The water of separation hath not 
been sprinkled upon him.” 

Exekiel xxxvi. 24, 25: “For I will take you from 
among the heathen; and gather you out of all coun¬ 
tries, and will bring you into your own land. Then 
will I sprinkle clean water upon you , and ye shall be 
clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your 
idols, will I cleanse you.” 

(2) It also prefigured the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost. 

1 Corinthians x. 2-4: “And were all baptized unto 
Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the 
same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same 
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock 
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 

Joel ii. 28, 29: “And it shall come to pass after¬ 
ward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; 
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 


14 


BAPTISM 


your old men shall dream dreams, your young men 
shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon. 
the handmaids in those days will I pour out my 
Spirit.” 

Acts i. 5: “For John truly baptized with water; but 
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days 
hence.” 

Acts ii. 16, 17: “ But this is that which was spoken 
by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the 
last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon 
all flesh.” 

1 Corinthians xii. 13: “For by one Spirit are we 
all baptized into one body , whether we be Jews or 
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been 
all made to drink into one Spirit .” 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. That water baptism originated with John the 
Baptist, or at least during the latter years of the Old 
Testament history as Proselyte baptism. 

If the Bible is a “sufficient guide,” it forever settles 
the date of the origin of water baptism. (See 1 Cor. 
x. 1, 2.) “Baptized unto Moses.” This Red Sea 
baptism was the first we have on record and was the 
largest. The Lord himself was the administrator. 
Surely it was done right. 

2. That the Red Sea baptism was a type of immer¬ 
sion. That the passage through the sea was between 
walls of water and over the people was the wet cloud 
which typified a complete submergence. 

Let us see about that. First, “the depths were con¬ 
gealed [stiffened or frozen] in the heart of the sea.” 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


15 


(Ex. xv. 8.) Secondly , at least six times the Scriptures 
tell us that the Israelites walked on “dry ground” 
in the midst of the sea. (See passages quoted above.) 
It is true that the walls of water were on either side of 
them, but they never touched them; and that the 
cloud was above them, but it never came in contact 
with the people. The only thing the people did touch 
was the ground, and it happened to be “dry.” 
Who ever heard of an immersion on “dry ground”? 
The “clouds poured out water,” says the Book (Ps. 
lxxvii. 17), and it was the only water that touched 
the people, and it was not enough to wet the ground. 
That doesn’t look like a dipping, does it? There was 
an immersion immediately following the Lord’s 
baptism, that of Pharaoh’s hosts who never re¬ 
turned to tell the tale; and, unlike the latter-day.im- 
mersionist, the Egyptian historians never boasted 
about “getting it right.” 

3. That infants and small children are not subjects 
of baptism. Did the Lord draw a line at the Red 
Sea and say that those not old enough to “repent and 
believe” must remain on the Egyptian side of the 
sea while their parents and all other adults submit to 
baptism and cross over? The logical conclusion of 
the modern immersionists would lead to such an act 
on the part of the Lord. What says the Book? “All 
passed through the sea; and were all baptized.” 
(1 Cor. x. 1, 2.) How many were baptized? The 
Book says there were “about six hundred thousand 
on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed 
multitude went up also with them.” And of the 
tribe of Levi alone “all the males from a month old 


16 


BAPTISM. 


and upward, were twenty and two thousand.” 
(Num. iii. 39.) 

Now if there were as many women and children as 
men, there were more than a million people who 
passed through the Red Sea, and of that number 
there must have been at least 200,000 children whom 
the Lord baptized along with their parents. If the 
exclusive'immersionists insist on the Red Sea baptism 
as a type of immersion, why do they not immerse 
their children also? Echo answers, “Why?” 

The Lord set the example by baptizing the infants 
by affusion when “the clouds poured out water” on 
the people, and the Old Testament never left the in¬ 
fants and children out, but continued to follow the 
Lord’s example by taking them in and incorporated 
“sprinkling” as the mode of baptizing and cleansing 
the people. 

To be familiar with the Old Testament Church 
gives the only true background and key to the under¬ 
standing of the New Testament Church and its 
ordinances, for the one dovetails into the other. 


CHAPTER II. 

Baptism of John the Baptist. 

Who was John the Baptist? 

Luke i. 5: ‘‘There was in the days of Herod, the 
king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the 
course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of 
Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.” 

Luke i. 13: “But the angel said unto him, Fear 
not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife 
Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call 
his name John.” 

Luke i. 80: “And the child grew, and waxed strong 
.in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his 
showing unto Israel.” 

As a son of a priest he was necessarily brought up 
versed in the law and its ordinances. 

Did his commission authorize John to change the 
ordinances of his Church or to make new laws? 

Isaiah xl. 3: “The voice of him that crieth in the 
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
straight in the desert a highway for our God.” 

Matthew iii. 3: “For this is he that was spoken of 
by the prophet Esaias, saying, The Voice of one cry¬ 
ing in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, make his paths straight.” 

If he had changed either the law or ordinances , would 
the Pharisees and Sadducees have submitted to his 
baptism? 

Matthew iii. 7: “But when he saw many of the 
2 (17) 


18 


BAPTISM 


Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he 
said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath 
warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” 

Being the son of a priest, and whose commission 
did not authorize him to change the law, 

How and Why Did John Baptize? 

He certainly administered according to the ritual of 
his Church. 

1. How did he perform the rite of baptism? 

John i. 19-21, 25: “And this is the record of John, 
when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem 
to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and 
denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And 
they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And 
he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he 
answered, No. . . . And they asked him, and said 
unto him, Why baptizeth thou then, if thou be not that 
Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” 

Why did these Jerusalem officials think John was 
the Christ? 

Because he came baptizing, and this was to be one 
of the marks of the promised Messiah. 

Isaiah lii. 15: “So shall he sprinkle many nations.” 

As the Lord had baptized one nation at the Red 
Sea, so the Christ was to baptize “many nations.” 

How did the Lord baptize that nation? 

Psalm lxxvii. 17: “The clouds poured out water.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean 
water unto you.” 

Matthew xi. 7: “And as they departed, Jesus began 
to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


19 


went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed 
shaken with the wind?” 

On approaching the place of baptizing the people 
could see the “reed” or hyssop being shaken over 
the multitudes, as John was baptizing them, as if 
shaken by the wind. 

2. Why did John baptize? 

(1) “Baptism of repentance.” Setting apart to a 
new order. 

Numbers viii. 7: “And thus shalt thou do unto 
them, to cleanse them: sprinkle water of purifying 
upon them.” 

Numbers xix. 20: “The water of separation hath 
not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.” 

Matthew iii. 1, 2: “In those days came John the 
Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and 
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at 
hand.” 

(2) To prefigure the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

Matthew iii. 11: “I indeed baptize you with water 

unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is 
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost , and with 
fire.” 

Luke iii. 16: “John answered, saying unto them 
all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier 
than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not 
worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the 
Holy Ghost and with fire.” 

Acts i. 5: “For John truly baptized with water; but 
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many 
days hence.” 


20 


BAPTISM 


Where John Baptized: Three Places Besides Jordan. 

1. He began in the “wilderness.” 

Isaiah xl. 3: “The voice of him that crieth in the 
wilderness .” 

Mark i. 4: “John did baptize in the wilderness .” 

John x. 40: “And went away again beyond Jordan 
into the place where John at first baptized.” 

2. Next the Jordan River. 

Matthew iii. 5, 6: “Then went out to him Jerusa¬ 
lem, and all Judea, and all the region round about 
Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confess¬ 
ing their sins.” 

3. ^Bethabara beyond Jordan” (John x. 40). 

4. “A^non near to Salim.” 

John iii. 23: “And John also was baptizing in A£non 
near to Salim, because there was much water there: 
and they came, and were baptized.” 

Question for the “ much water ” brethren: Why did 
John have to go from the river Jordan to find much 
water? Had the river gone dry? 

The Baptism of Jesus by John. 

Why was Jesus baptized? 

1. “To fulfill all righteousness.” 

Matthew iii. 15: “And Jesus answering said unto 
him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us 
to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” 

Matthew v. 17-19: “Think not that I am come to 
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to 
destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, 
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall 
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


21 


Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least 
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be 
called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but who¬ 
soever shall do and teach them, the same shall be 
called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

2. To enter upon his priesthood. 

Luke iii. 23: “And Jesus himself began to be about 
thirty years of age." 

Numbers iv. 35: “From thirty years old and up¬ 
ward even unto fifty years old, every one that enter- 
eth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of 
the congregation.” 

Hebrews iv. 14, 15: “Seeing then that we have a 
great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, 
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
For we have not an high priest which cannot be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in 
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” 

Hebrews v. 4, 5, 10: “And no man taketh this honor 
unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was 
Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be 
made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou 
art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee. . . . 

Called of God an high priest after the order of Mel- 
chisedec.” 

Leviticus viii. 30: “And Moses took of the anoint¬ 
ing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, 
and sprinkled it upon Aaron , and upon his garments, 
and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with 
him; and sanctified Aaron , and his garments, and his 
sons, and his sons’ garments with him.” 

Leviticus viii. 12: “And he poured of the anointing oil 


22 


BAPTISM 


upon Aaron s head , and anointed him, to sanctify 
him.” 

Luke iii. 21, 22: “Now when all the people were 
baptized, it came to pass, that, Jesus also being 
baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and 
the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove 
upon him , and a voice came from heaven, which said, 
Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” 

John i. 32, 33: “And John bare record, saying, I 
saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, 
and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but 
he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said 
unto me, Upon whom . thou shalt see the Spirit 
descending, and remaining on him , the same is he 
which bapfrzeth with the Holy Ghost.” 

Moses anointed Aaron and his sons to the priest¬ 
hood by pouring the anointing oil upon their heads. 
The Father anointed his Son to be the “faithful high 
priest” by anointing him with the Holy Spirit. 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. They claim to “follow Christ in baptism” 
when they are dipped, and assert that affusionists 
are not baptized, but “sprinkled.” Some of them 
go so far as to put a painting on the wall, back of the 
“baptismal pool,” of the river Jordan in such a way 
as to make it appear that the one being dipped is in 
the river. Others place the words “Buried with 
Christ in baptism” over the pool and back of the 
pulpit so that the audience cannot fail to see them 
every time people meet for worship. These are un- 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 23 

scriptural deceptions and substitutions for what they 
cannot prove by the Bible. 

Christ was the last of the priests, and one cannot 
follow him in baptism any more than one can follow 
him in any other of his official acts. Christ was not 
baptized for an example, but to follow an example 
himself as the Scriptures above indicate. 

2. They claim that the phrase “went up straight¬ 
way out of the water” can mean nothing but “coming 
out from under the water.” 

As every honest man will tell you, the word 
“straightway” means “immediately” and nothing 
more. The words “went up” plainly indicate that 
the action was that of Jesus without the aid of John 
the Baptist. If Christ had been dipped, John would 
have brought him up. The words “up out of” re¬ 
late to action after baptism and were no part of the 
rite itself. “With” denotes the “how.” Stick to 
the Book. 

3. They claim that the words “in Jordan” settle 
the mode of baptism to be “to dip, to plunge, to 
immerse.” 

Fortunately we have the Scriptures themselves as 
our guide. We will let them explain these very words 
instead of taking a dipping vat as the meaning. 

Joshua iii. 8, 13, 15, 17: “And thou shalt command 
the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 
When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, 
ye shall stand still in Jordan. . . . And it shall 

come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the 
priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all 
the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the 


24 


BAPTISM. 


waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters 
that come down from above; and they shall stand 
upon an heap. . . . And as they that bare the ark 
were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests 
that bare the ark were dipped in the hrim of the water , 
(for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of 
harvest). . . . And the priests that bare the ark 
of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground 
in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed 
over on dry ground, until all the people were passed 
clean over Jordan.” 

Joshua iv. 16-19: “Command the priests that bear 
the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of 
Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, 
saying, Come ye up out of Jordan . And it came to 
pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the cove¬ 
nant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of 
Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted 
unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned 
unto their place. . . . And the people came up 

out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month.” 

Here we learn what scripture means by the words 
“down into” and “up out of” Jordan. None of the 
Israelites touched the water except the “priests that 
bare the ark,” and only the “soles of their feet” 
touched it. “In Jordan” therefore means anywhere 
in the bounds of high water mark. The people that 
John baptized were inside these bounds, and perhaps 
the “soles” of John’s feet were “in the brink of 
Jordan,” as he passed along before the people baptiz¬ 
ing them “with water.” 


CHAPTER III. 

Baptism on the Day of Pentecost. 

What was Christ's commission to his Church? 

Matthew xxviii. 19, 20: “Go ye therefore, and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world.” 

Mark xvi. 15, 16: “And he said unto them, Go ye 
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” 

Luke xxiv. 47: “And that repentance and remission 
of sins should be preached in his name among all na¬ 
tions, beginning at Jerusalem.” 

Luke xxiv. 49: “And, behold, I send the promise of 
my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jeru¬ 
salem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” 

Christ is careful not to change the mode of baptism. 

Acts i. 5: “For John truly baptized with water; but 
ye-shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days 
hence.” 

Acts ii. 1-4: “And when the day of Pentecost was 
fully come, they were all with one accord in one 
place. And suddenly there came a sound from 
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all 
the house where they were sitting. And there ap¬ 
peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and 
it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled 

(25) 


26 


BAPTISM 


with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other 
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” 

Acts ii. 16-18: “But this is that which was spoken 
by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the 
last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit 
upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, 
and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my 
servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in 
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” 

Acts xi. 15, 16: “And as I began to speak, the Holy 
Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then 
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he 
said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be 
baptized with the Holy Ghost .” 

Acts ii. 38, 39: “Then Peter said unto them, Re¬ 
pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is 
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar 
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” 

Acts ii. 41: “Then they that gladly received his 
word were baptized: and the same day there were 
added unto them about three thousand souls.” 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. They claim that the baptism of the Holy Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost was really by immersion, as 
“it filled the house where they were sitting” and 
hence the one hundred and twenty were “surrounded 
by the Spirit.” This only shows what ignorance of 
the Book really does for people. The Bible does not 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


27 


say that the Spirit “filled the house,” but that the 
“sound” did. The Holy Spirit “sat upon each of 
them.” The Spirit was “pouredout,” “shedforth,” 
“fell upon” them, and this was baptism. 

If the exclusive immersionist can get an immersion 
out of that process of affusion which Jesus calls 
“baptism,” he is welcome to it. The Christian 
Church sprang up inside the Old Testament Church 
and its preachers were members of the Jewish Church 
while performing the rite of baptism. As God had 
baptized a “nation” at the Red Sea, he now fulfills 
the type of the Red Sea baptism by the same mode as 
was typified by that baptism—viz., “poured out” 
the Spirit. 

2. That the three thousand baptized on the day of 
Pentecost were baptized in the pools of Jerusalem. 

Shades of mercy! What pools, pray? The Bible 
speaks of two pools in Jerusalem, Bethesda and 
Siloam. The pool of Bethesda (John v. 1-9) had 
“five porches.” “In these lay a great multitude of 
impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for 
the moving of the water.” Only one was allowed to 
enter between the times of the moving of the water, 
as one made it ceremonially unclean. How long 
would it have taken to baptize the three thousand 
in that pool when they would have to wait till the 
water moved after each dipping before another 
could have been taken in? It must be remembered 
that the pools did not belong to the Christians and 
would never have been turned over to them by their 
enemies. The brook Kidron was dry at that season of 
the year and the river Jordan was eighteen miles 


28 


BAPTISM. 


away. To what lengths will men go in defense of an 
unscriptural dogma! 

3. That twelve apostles could without difficulty 
immerse three thousand people in one day. 

That would be swift work, to be sure. Let us 
see what happened on that day. The Holy Spirit was 
poured out; the one hundred and twenty spoke “as 
the Spirit gave them utterance”; this was then 
“noised abroad”; the “multitude came together, and 
were confounded, because that every man heard them 
speak in his own language”; “they were all amazed 
and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are 
not all these which speak Galileans?” Peter then 
preached; “and with many other words did he testify 
and exhort;” “then they that gladly received his 
word were baptized.” That was a pretty good day’s 
work, and it was not all taken up in baptizing either, 
as a review will show. Each of the twelve apostles 
would have had two hundred and fifty to baptize, 
which would have been a physical impossibility. 
With no pools at their command and no streams near 
by, and with no authority to change the mode of 
baptism, and with the large number to baptize*, and 
with God’s baptism of the Holy Spirit by pouring 
fresh upon them, how could any set of the most ex- * 
treme immersionists read dipping into this Pentecos¬ 
tal baptism; and that, too, in the absence of a word of 
Scripture to confirm such a theory, is more than most 
mortals can understand. Dear brother immersionist, 
drop your prejudice, stick to the Book. It will change 
your views by helping you to find the light upon this 
subject. 


CHAPTER IV. 

Philip and the Eunuch. 

Philip meets the Ethiopian. 

Acts viii. 26-40: “And the angel of the Lord spake 
unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south 
unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto 
Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, 
behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great 
authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, 
who had the charge of all her treasure , and had come to 
Jerusalem for to worship , was returning, and sitting 
in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the 
Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to 
this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and 
heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Under- 
standest thou what thou readest? And he said, 
How can I, except some man should guide me? And 
he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with 
him. The place of the scripture which he read was 
this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like 
a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not 
his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken 
away: and who shall declare his generation? for his 
life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch an¬ 
swered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speak- 
eth the prophet this? of himself, or of some other 
man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at 
the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And 
as they went on their way, they came unto a certain 

(29) 


30 


BAPTISM 


water: and the eunuch said, See , here is water; what 
doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If 
thou believest with all thine heart , thou mayest. And 
he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is 
the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to 
stand still: and they went down both into the water, 
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 
And when they were come up out of the water, the 
Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the 
eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way 
rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and pass¬ 
ing through he preached in all the cities, till he came 
to Caesarea.” 

Who was Philips 

1. One of the seven deacons chosen to “ serve 
tables.” 

Acts vi. 3, 5, 6: “Wherefore, brethren, look ye 
out among you seven men of honest report, full of 
the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint 
over this business. . . . And the saying pleased 

the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man 
full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip: 
. . . whom they set before the apostles: and when 
they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” 

2. He became an evangelist. 

Acts xxi. 8: “We entered into the house of Philip 
the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and 
abode with him.” 

3. A circumcised Jew and under obligation to keep 
the whole law. 

Galatians v. 3: “For I testify again to every man 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES . 


31 


that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the 
whole law .” 

Who was the eunuch? 

1. A man of “great authority.” 

Acts viii. 27: “A man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of 
great authority under Candace queen of the Ethio¬ 
pians, who had the charge of all her treasure.” 

2. Earnest student of Scripture. 

Acts viii. 28: “Was returning, and sitting in his 
chariot read Esaias the prophet.” 

3. A proselyte of the temple at Jerusalem. 

Acts viii. 27: “Had come to Jerusalem for to wor¬ 
ship.” 

“ And he baptized him." 

Proofs Supporting Affusion. 

1. Philip, the baptizer, was a Jew, and “debtor to 
do the whole law.” (Gal. v. 3.) 

2. Eunuch, the baptized, was a worshiper of 
Jehovah at the temple. 

3. The Holy Spirit emphasized the fact to Philip 
that the road was a “desert” one. 

4. The eunuch's great surprise at finding water. 
“See, water!” 

5. “ He shall sprinkle many nations.” (Isa. Hi. 15.) 

These significant words are found in the same 

prophecy that the eunuch was reading. The Bible 
was not then divided into chapters and verses as it 
'is now, and the eunuch had just read that passage. 
Philip “began at the same scripture , and preached 
unto him Jesus.” As a preacher bent upon giving 
the truth to an earnest inquirer Philip must necessa- 


32 


BAPTISM. 


rily explain how Christ “shall sprinkle many na¬ 
tions,” and as the eunuch was a representative of a 
nation this applied to him. 

How could Philip get immersion out of an affusion 
text? • 

Isaiah Hi. 15: “So shall he sprinkle many nations.” 
Isaiah liii. 12: “He hath poured out his soul unto 
death.” 


ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSlONISTS. 

1. That the words “and they went down both into 
the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he bap¬ 
tized him,” can only signify dipping. 

Verse 31 says: “And he desired Philip that he 
would come up and sit with him.” Now if he had to 
“come up” in order to sit with the eunuch, of course 
he would have to go “down” from the chariot to 
reach the water. This they both did. “And he 
baptized him.’* 

2. That the words “when they were come up out of 
the water” are meaningless unless an immersion 
took place. 

Going “down into” and “coming up out of” are 
acts before and after the act of baptism and are no 
part of the baptism itself, and therefore do not tell 
how the act of baptism was performed. 

The eunuch’s confession was “I believe that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God,” and believing this he 
must also have believed in the Scripture concerning 
him which he had just read, which positively states, 
“So shall he sprinkle many nations.” Like all good 
Christians he stuck to the Book. 


CHAPTER V. 

Baptism of Saul of Tarsus. 

1. The character of Saul of Tarsus . 

Acts vii. 58: “And cast him out of the city, and 
stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes 
•at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” 

Acts viii. 1, 3: “And Saul was consenting unto his 
death. And at that time there was a great persecu¬ 
tion against the church which was at Jerusalem; and 
they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions 
of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. . . . 

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering 
into every house, and haling men and women com¬ 
mitted them to prison.” 

Acts ix. 1, 2: “And Saul, yet breathing out threat- 
enings and slaughter against the disciples of the 
Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him 
letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he 
found any of this way, whether they were men or 
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” 

2. Luke’s account of Saul’s conversion and baptism. 

Acts ix. 3-20: “And as he journeyed, he came near 

Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about 
him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, 
and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why 
persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, 
Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou 
persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the 
pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, 
3 (33) 


34 


BAPTISM 


what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said 
unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall he 
told thee what thou must do. And the men which 
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, 
but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; 
and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but 
they led him by the hand, and brought him into 
Damascus. And he was three days without sight, 
and did neither eat nor drink. 

“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, 
named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, 
Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the 
street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house 
of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold , 
he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named 
Ananias coming in , and putting his hand on him, 
that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias an¬ 
swered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how 
much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 
and here he hath authority from the chief priests to 
bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said 
unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto 
me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, 
and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how 
great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And 
Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and 
putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the 
Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way 
as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest re¬ 
ceive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


35 


been scales; and he received sight forthwith, and 
arose , and was baptized. And when he had received 
meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain 
days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues 
that he is the Son of God.” 

3. Paul's own account of his conversion. 

Acts xxii. 3-16: “I am verily a man which am a 
Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up 
in this city at the fee*t of Gamaliel, and taught ac¬ 
cording to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers , 
and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 
And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding 
and delivering into prisons both men and women. 
As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all 
the estate of the elders: from whom also I received 
letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to 
bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, 
for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I 
made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus 
about noon , suddenly there shone from heaven a great 
light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, 
and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why 
persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art 
thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of 
Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that 
were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; 
but they heard not the voice of him that spake to 
me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the 
Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; 
and there it shall be told thee of all things which are 
appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see 


36 


BAPTISM 


for the glory of that light , being led by the hand of 
them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 
And one Ananias , a devout man according to the law , 
having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 
came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother 
Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked 
up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers 
hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, 
and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice 
of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness urito all 
men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why 
tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized , and wash away 
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord .” 

4. Saul's baptism. 

(1) By Ananias, a strict Jew. 

Acts xxii. 12: “And one Ananias, a devout man 
according to the law , having -a good report of all the 
Jews which dwelt there.” 

“According to the law” this “devout man” had 
to use the ritual of his Church in order to have “a 
good report of all the Jews which dwelt there.” 
What was this “law”? 

Numbers viii. 7: “And thus shalt thou do unto 
them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying 
upon them.” 

Numbers xix. 20: “But the man that shall be un¬ 
clean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be 
cut off from among the congregation, because he hath 
defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separa¬ 
tion hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean water 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


37 


Upon you , and ye shall be clean: from all your filthi¬ 
ness, and from all your idol& will I cleanse you.” 

John ii. 6: “And there were set there six waterpots 
of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews , 
containing two or three firkins apiece.” 

(2) He was baptized while standing in a house. 

Acts ix. 11, 17, 18: “And the Lord said unto him, 
Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, 
and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of 
Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. . . . And Ananias 
went his way, and entered into the house; and putting 
his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even 
Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou 
earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy 
sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And im¬ 
mediately there fell from his eyes as it had been 
scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose , 
and was baptized .” 

Acts xxii. 16: “And now why tarriest thou? arise, 
and be baptized , and wash away thy sins, calling on 
the name of the Lord .” 

5. Paul's doctrine and practice of baptism . 

(1) His doctrine of baptism. 

Romans vi. 3-5: “ Know ye not, that so many of us 
as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into 
his death? Therefore we are buried with him by 
baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up 
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we 
also should walk in newness of life. For if we have 
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we 
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” 

Colossians ii. 11, 12: “ In whom also ye are circum - 


38 


BAPTISM 


cised with the circumcision made without hands , in put¬ 
ting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circum¬ 
cision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, where¬ 
in also ye are risen with him through the faith of the 
operation of God, who hath raised him from the 
dead.” 

From the foregoing we learn that the baptism he 
was speaking of was a baptism “into Jesus Christ” 
and “into his death,” and not into water, and that 
baptism came about by “the circumcision made 
without hands” by “the circumcision of Christ” 
“through the faith of the operation of God” and not 
man. 

From the following Paul explains this baptism: 

1 Corinthians xii. 13: “For by one Spirit are we 
all baptized into one body , whether we be Jews or 
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been 
all made to drink into one Spirit .” 

Ephesians iv. 5: “One Lord, one faith, one bap¬ 
tism.” 

Galatians iii. 26, 27: “For ye are all the children 
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you 
as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” 

Titus iii. 5: “Not by works of righteousness which 
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, 
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost.” 

(2) His practice of baptism. 

1 Corinthians i. 14-17: “I thank God that I bap¬ 
tized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any 
should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 
And I baptized also the household of Stephenas: 


according to the scriptures. 


39 


besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 
For Christ sent me not to baptize , but to preach the 
gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of 
Christ should be made of none effect.” 

Acts xvi. 14, 15: “And a certain woman named 
Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, 
which worshiped God , heard us: whose heart the Lord 
opened , that she attended unto the things which were 
spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and 
her household , she besought us, saying, If ye have 
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my 
house and abide there. And she constrained us.” 

Acts xvi. 33, 34: “And he took them the same hour 
of the night, and washed their stripes; and was 
baptized , he and all his , straightway. And when he 
had brought them into his house, he set meat before 
them, and rejoiced , believing in God with all his house .” 

From Paul’s practice of baptism we learn, first , 
that the act of water baptism is no part of salvation; 
if so, then he thanked “God that” he “baptized 
none” of them, and in that way was glad he had no 
part in getting them “into Christ.” Second , that 
nearly all those he did baptize were by families, 
thereby carrying out the Jewish law regarding house¬ 
holds, “for the promise is unto you and your chil¬ 
dren” (Acts ii. 39). The burden of proof is upon 
exclusive immersionists to prove that there were no 
children in any of these “households,” and not on 
the affusionists. We are still baptizing “ households.” 

SOME ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. “Wash away thy sins,” some of them say, 


40 


BAPTISM 


means only to be “dipped.” Have any of them ever 
tried to dip a candidate while he was standing up in 
the middle of the floor in a “house”? If so, let him 
tell us how he did it, or “else hereafter forever hold 
his peace.” “Calling on the name of the Lord,” 
washed “away Paul’s sins.” Paul “arose, and was 
baptized.” 

2. “ Buried with him by baptism,” say the immer- 
sionists, is positive and final proof of an immersion. 
Well, let Paul explain his own words, if you please. 
It was a burial not of the body, but the spirit of man 
freed from sins, “circumcised with the circumcision 
made without hands, in putting off the body of the 
sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” 
(Col. ii. 11). “For by one Spirit are we all baptized 
into one body” (1 Cor. xii. 13), “for as many of you 
as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” 
(Gal. iii. 27). 

All the buryings I have attended have been by 
sprinkling and pouring of dirt over the body of the 
dead, and leaving the body there. So is water 
baptism. It signifies the death and burial of “the 
old man” which has been baptized “by one Spirit” 
“into Christ.” It is the “water of separation” which 
is “sprinkled upon” the person “according to the 
law” (Ezek. xxxvi. 25). 

For one to leave his old faith and be baptized in 
those days meant that such a one was disowned and 
disinherited by one’s family, and as far as the 
family was concerned that one was considered 4 ‘ dead. ’ * 


CHAPTER VI. 

The Baptism of Cornelius. 

1. Cornelius and his vision . 

Acts x. 1-8: “There was a certain man in Caesarea 
called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the 
Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God 
with all his house, which gave much alms to the 
people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vi¬ 
sion evidently about the ninth hour of the day an 
angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, 
Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was 
afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto 
him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for 
a memorial before God. And now send men to 
Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is 
Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose 
house is by the seaside: he shall tell thee what, thou 
oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake 
unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his 
household servants, and a devout soldier of them 
that waited on him continually; and when he had 
declared all these things unto them, he sent them to 
Joppa.” 

Acts x. 30: “And Cornelius said, Four days ago I 
was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I 
prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before 
me in bright clothing.” 

Acts xi. 13: “And he showed us how he had seen 
an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, 

(41) 


42 


BAPTISM 


Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose sur¬ 
name is Peter.” 

2. Peter's vision. 

Acts x. 9-16: “On the morrow, as they went on, 
their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter 
went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth 
hour: and he became very hungry, and would have 
eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a 
trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel 
descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet 
knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 
wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the 
earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and 
fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, 
Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, 
Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is com¬ 
mon or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again 
the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call 
not thou common. This was done thrice: and the 
vessel was received up again into heaven.” 

Acts xi. 5-10: “I was in the city of Joppa praying: 
and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel de¬ 
scend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from 
heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 
upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I 
considered, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, 
and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of 
the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, 
Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for 
nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered 
into my mouth. But the voice answered me again 
from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not 


ACCORDING to the SCRIPTURES. 43 

thou common. And this was done three times: and 
all were drawn up again into heaven.” 

3. Cornelius and his company baptized with the 
Holy Ghost. 

Acts x. 44, 45: “While Peter yet spake these words, 
the Holy Ghost fell on all which heard the word. And 
they of the circumcision which believed were aston¬ 
ished, as many as came with Peter, because that on 
the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy 
Ghost.” 

Acts xi. 15-17: “And as I began to sepak, the Holy 
Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. [See 
Acts ii.] Then remembered I the word of the Lord, 
how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; 
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For¬ 
asmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did 
unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; 
what was I, that I could withstand God?” 

4. Baptized with water , as they had been baptized 
with the Holy Ghost. 

Acts x. 47, 48: “Can any man forbid water, that 
these should not be baptized, which have received 
the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded 
them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. That Cornelius and his household were carried to 
the water. 

But the Holy Scriptures declare the opposite. 
“Who can forbid water?” The water was the thing 
carried, and not the people. Peter did not say, 
“Who can forbid a pond, pool, creek, or sea?” The 


44 


BAPTISM. 


bringing of the water could have been forbidden, as 
it was brought to the people and they were baptized 
by the Jewish law of “sprinkling.” 

2. That God immerses one in the Holy Ghost. - 
If God does not, then the writer charges them with 
inventing another mode or form of baptism—that 
by immersion in water, whereas the Bible (Eph. vi. 
5) declares “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” 





CHAPTER VII. 

Baptism of the Jailer at Philippi. 

1. A Roman prison. 

Description of the prison at Jerusalem: 

Acts xii. 1-10: “Now about that time Herod the 
king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the 
church. And he killed James the brother of John 
with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the 
Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then 
were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he 
had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and 
delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep 
him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the 
people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but 
prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto 
God for him. And when Herod would have brought 
him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between 
two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers 
before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the 
angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined 
in the prison: and fie smote Peter on the side, and 
raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his 
chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said 
unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. 
And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy 
garment about thee, and follow me. And he went 
out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true 
which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a 
vision. When they were past the first and the second 

(45) 


46 


BAPTISM 


ward , they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto 
the city; which opened to them of his own accord: 
and they went out, and passed on through one 
street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.” 

Description of the prison at Philippi: 

Acts xvi. 22-34: “And the multitude rose up 
together against them: and the magistrates rent off 
their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And 
when they had laid many stripes upon them, they 
cast them into prison , charging the jailer to keep 
them safely: who, having received such a charge, 
thrust them into the inner prison , and made their feet 
fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas 
prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners 
heard them. And suddenly there was a great earth¬ 
quake, so that the foundations of the prison were 
shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, 
and every one's hands were loosed . And the keeper of 
the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the 
prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would 
have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had 
been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 
Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he 
called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, 
and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought 
them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake 
unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in 
his house. And he took them the same hour of the 
night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, 
he and all his, straightway. A^id when he had 


according to the scriptures. 47 

brought them into his house , he set meat before them, 
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” 

Comparison of the two prisons: 

(1) Peter was placed between two soldiers, bound 

with two chains.” Paul and Silas were “thrust 
. . . into the inner prison, and . . . their feet 

fast in the stocks” (Acts xvi. 24). 

(2) In coming out Peter had to pass “the first 

and second ward” before he “came unto the iron 
gate that leadeth unto the city” (Acts xii. 10). Paul 
and Silas were thrown or “thrust . . . into the 

inner prison” or dungeon, and in coming out of “the 
inner prison” they must of necessity come out into 
the main prison where they had been “cast” by the 
magistrates. 

(3) In Peter’s case “the keepers before the door 
kept the prison” (Acts xii. 6). At Philippi “the 
keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and 
seeing the prison doors open” (Acts xvi. 27)—which 
indicates that his “house” was at one end of the 
prison where he could see all the doors. 

(4) When the soldiers found that Peter had es¬ 
caped, “there was no small stir” among them, “what 
was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought 
for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, 
and commanded that they should be put to death” 
(Acts xii. 18, 19). When the jailer at Philippi awoke 
and found the prison doors all open, “he drew out his 
sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that 
the prisoners had been fled, preferring to die at his 


48 


BAPTISM 


own hands than to be “put to death” by the officials 
(Acts xvi. 27). 

2. Where- and how were the jailer and his household 
baptized? 

(1) The jailer brought Paul and Silas out of the 
“inner prison” into the main “ward” or prison. 

Acts xvi. 29-31: “Then he called for a light, and 
sprang in , and came trembling, and fell down before 
Paul and Silas, and brought them out , and said, Sirs, 
what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, 
and thy house.” 

(2) Here “all that were in his house” gathered 
about Paul and Silas for instruction. 

Acts kvi. 32: “And they spake unto him the word 
of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.'' 

(3) The jailer “took them the same hour of the 
night” to the place where the prisoners washed in the 
jail. 

Acts xvi. 33: “And he took them the same hour of 
the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, 
he and all his, straightway” (immediately). 

(4) He then “brought them into his house, ” which 
was so connected with the prison that the jailer 
could see all the doors from his bed. 

Acts xvi. 34: “And when he had brought them into 
his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, 
believing in God with all his house." 

(5) That all these things occurred inside the prison 
is forever settled by Holy Writ. Read it carefully, 
ye prejudiced immersionists, and be governed accord- 
ingly. 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


49 


Acts xvi. 35-40': “And when it was day, the magis¬ 
trates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 
And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, 
The magistrates have sent to let you go: now there¬ 
fore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto 
them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, 
being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now 
do they thrust us out privately? nay, verily; but let 
them come themselves and fetch us out. And the 
serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and 
they feared, when they heard that they were Ro¬ 
mans. And they came and besought them, and 
brought them out , and desired them to depart out of 
the city. And they went out of the prison , and entered 
into the house of Lydia.” 

Now how would a Jew baptize, who himself had 
been baptized by “one Ananias, a devout man 
according to the law , having a good report of all the 
Jews which dwelt there” (Acts xxii. 12), and one who 
was standing up in a house when he was baptized 
(Acts xxii. 16)? 

How could an immersionist have baptized the 
jailer and all his household without inventing some¬ 
thing which the Bible is silent about and placing it 
about that prison? Echo answers, How? Baptism 
according to the Scriptures could easily have been ad¬ 
ministered in that prison. (See 1 Cor. x. 1, 2; 
Num. viii. 5-7; Isa. lii. 15; Ezek. xxxvi. 25; 
John ii. 6-8; Acts i. 5; etc.) 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSION1STS. 

1. Inventing a dipping vat for the convenience of 
4 


50 


BAPTISM. 


Paul and Silas, and making the Bible say what it 
certainly does not say. 

2. Slipping Paul and Silas outside the jail for this 
baptizing in order to carry out their deep water view 
of dipping for the act of baptism. They are adepts in 
carrying around with them portable tanks, forgetting 
that those manufactured articles are all collapsible 
in the face of Scripture. 


t 


CHAPTER VIII. 

The Burial Theory. 

We are now entering the stronghold of the exclu¬ 
sive immersionist. Here he takes his stand and 
“challenges the world.” If he cannot get any one to 
attack him, he puts up a straw man and shoots away 
at him and in so doing makes as much noise as 
possible. 

Two Definitions of the Word “Baptism ” 

1. That of the exclusive immersionist, “to dip, to 
plunge, to immerse,” and as proof texts he glibly 
quotes those passages which speak of “in Jordan,” 
“much water there,” “down into the water,” “up 
out of the water,” and “buried,” without being 
honest enough with the real facts in the case to tell us 
that such words as “went down into the water” and 
“up out of the water” express action before and 
after the act of baptism and were no part whatever 
of the action*of baptism, and therefore no proof of 
the mode or manner of baptism at all. 

2. That of the Scriptures themselves, which has 
nothing to do with the position of the body at all, 
but do clearly explain the manner or mode of the act 
of baptism. Let us see what they have to say. 

1 Corinthians x. 2: “Were all baptized unto Moses 
in the cloud and in the sea.” 

Exodus xiv. 29: “The children of Israel walked 
upon dry land in the midst of the sea.” 


( 51 ) 


52 


BAPTISM 


Psalm lxxvii. 17: “The clouds poured out water.” 

Matthew iii. 11: “I indeed baptize you with 
water. ... He shall baptize you with the Holy 
Ghost.” 

Acts i. 5: “John truly baptized with water; but ye 
. shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days 
hence.” 

Acts ii. 16, 17: “This is that which was spoken by 
the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the 
last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit.” 

Acts ii. 33: “Having received of the Father the 
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, 
which ye now see and hear.” 

Acts xi. 15: “As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost 
fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” 

We now have a clear-cut definition of the word 
“baptism” from the court of last resort, the Bible it¬ 
self. It is “with water,” “the clouds poured out 
water,” and John the Baptist baptized “with water,” 
and God “with the Holy Ghost” which “fell on” 
the people. Thus armed, we may safely enter the 
precincts of the burial theory of baptism. 

The Burial Passages. 

Romans vi. 1-8: “What shall we say then? Shall 
we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God 
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any 
longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us 
as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into 
his death? Therefore we are buried with him by 
baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from 
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 53 

should walk in newness of life. For if we have been 
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall 
be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing 
this, that our old man is crucified with him , that the 
body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we 
should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from 
sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that 
we shall also live with him.” 

Colossians ii. 4, 8, 11-14: “And this I say, lest any 
man should beguile you with enticing words. . . . 

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy 
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the 
rudiments of the world , and not after Christ. . . . 

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circum¬ 
cision made without hands , in putting off the body of 
sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried 
with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with 
him through the faith of the operation of God , who hath 
raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in 
your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath 
he quickened together with him, having forgiven you 
all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordi¬ 
nances that was against us, which was contrary to us, 
and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” 

Examination of the Foregoing Passages. 

The baptism alluded to in these passages is one 
“into Jesus Christ,” “into his death,” “into death,” 
but never into water. 

1 Corinthians xii. 13: “For by one Spirit are we 
all baptized into one body , whether we be Jews or 


54 


BAPTISM 


Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been 
all made to drink into one Spirit.” 

The passage in Romans was written to answer the 
first verse in the sixth chapter, and is not a treatise 
on water baptism. 

What was it that was “buried”? That which was 
dead, of course. “Our old man is crucified with him.” 
“We have been planted together in the likeness of his 
death.” “Circumcised with the circumcision made 
without hands.” 

Hence at the cross one dies, and there the “old 
man” is buried in the death of Jesus Christ. It is 
the spirit of sin that is buried and must have a 
spiritual grave, “planted together in the likeness of 
his death.” 

The Symbol of Baptism . 

The exlcusive immersionist says that baptism 
symbolizes “the death, burial, and resurrection of 
Jesus Christ.” 

1. Does water baptism symbolize the “death” of 
Jesus Christ? The exclusive immersionist declares 
that it does. Did Jesus die by immersion? “To the 
law and to the testimony.” 

Mark xv. 25, 30, 32: “And it was the third hour, 
and they crucified him. . . . Save thyself, and 

come down from the cross. . . . Let Christ the 

King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we 
may see and believe.” 

Isaiah liii. 12: “He hath poured out his soul unto 
death.” 

1 Peter i. 2: “Unto obedience and the sprinkling 
of the blood of Jesus Christ.” 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 55 

Hebrews xii. 24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the 
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling , that 
speaketh better things than that of Abel.” 

He died then by “pouring out his soul” and 
“sprinkling his blood,” and not by immersion. 

2. Does water baptism symbolize the burial of 
Jesus? The exclusive immersionist says it does. 
Was Jesus buried by immersion? What saith the 
Word? 

Matthew xxvii. 57-60: “When the even was come, 
there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, 
who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: he went to 
Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate 
commanded the body to be delivered. And when 
Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean 
linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb , which he 
had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to 
the door of the sepulcher, and departed.” 

John xix. 39-42: “And there came also Nicodemus, 
which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought 
a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred 
pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, 
and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the 
manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place 
where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the 
garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet 
laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the 
Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at 
hand.” 

He was buried then by two men who carried him 
into the sepulcher and gently laid the body down (not 


56 


BAPTISM 


lowered or dipped) on the place prepared for the dead 
and left it there. 

3. Does the act of immersion symbolize the resur¬ 
rection of Jesus? The exclusive immersionist says 
it does. Was Jesus buried by dipping? “Search the 
Scriptures” and find the truth. 

Mathew xxviii. 2-6: “And, behold, there was a great 
earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from 
heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the 
door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like 
lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear 
of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead 
men. And the angel answered and said unto the 
women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, 
which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, 
as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” 

Romans vi. 4: “Like as Christ was raised up from 
the dead by the glory of the Father.” 

John x. 17, 18: “Therefore doth my Father love 
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it 
again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down 
of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have 
power to take it again.” 

“ He was raised up then from the dead by the glory 
of the Father” and not by man. Those who carried 
the body to the grave had nothing to do with bringing 
him out of the grave. How then can immersion or any 
other mode of baptism illustrate the process of the 
resurrection? A momentary dip symbolizes nothing. 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. That Christ died of an “immersional cruci- 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


57 


fixion” and hence a momentary dip of a candidate in 
water symbolizes that death. Christ was lifted up, 
not lowered; hands were stretched apart, not folded; 
he was mocked, not praised; deserted, not aided; in 
agony, not in ease; “poured out his soul,” not dipped; 
“sprinkled” his blood, not immersed in it. 

2. That Christ was buried by immersion, and that 
an immersion in water of a proper candidate symbol¬ 
izes that burial, while the facts are that two men 
picked up the body of Christ and carried it to its rest¬ 
ing place and “laid” it down and left it there. They 
refer boastingly to their dipping as the “liquid 
grave,” and many of them now use words as a 
prefix to the formula laid down in Matthew xxviii. 
19—namely, “I now bury you in water and baptize 
you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost.” If they are to illustrate the 
burial of Jesus, two of them should pick up the candi¬ 
date and carry him out into the water and lay him 
down and leave him there. 

They have two stale illustrations they love to get 
off for the effect on an audience—namely, that of the 
“goose” the father told his son to carry off and bury. 
When the son came back his father asked what he had 
done with the goose. He replied that he had buried 
it by “sprinkling dust on its head.” The other is the 
one where an undertaker placed the dead body of a 
child in the grave and sprinkled a little dirt over the 
corpse and left it as buried. When our deep-water 
friends get these off on an audience, they never fail to 
ask, “Would you call that a burial? Would you have 
that for a burial?” No sensible man would claim 


58 


baptism. 


such for burials. But when they refer to those illus¬ 
trations they do so at their own peril. All the burials 
the writer has seen have been by affusion. The 
corpse is placed in the grave and some one stands 
down in the grave and “sprinkles” the dirt over the 
covering until well covered and then gets out and the 
dirt is literally “poured” in until the grave is filled 
up. Be assured that baptism by any mode does not 
and cannot represent the burial of Christ or anybody 
else, unless that body was buried in the sea. 

3. That in the act of immersion they represent the 
resurrection of Christ. The body of Jesus was carried 
to the grave, while the immersionist’s candidate 
usually walks in and comes out of his own accord 
with the administrator. If immersion represents 
Christ's resurrection, the body ought to be left in the 
“liquid grave” until it is raised “by the glory of the 
Father,” as was Jesus’s. 

4. That immersion is the gold standard of the 
realm, and accepted as genuine by all Churches. This 
is not true of those who take the Scriptures as the 
only sufficient guide. Immersionists cannot agree 
among themselves. One school claims they bury to 
kill. The other claims to bury because the person is 
dead, and the proof is that the “corpse” says it is 
dead. Holy shadows of logic! Affusionists baptize to 
represent the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the 
inward cleansing of the heart, according to the Scrip¬ 
tures, and do not have to debate about it with each 
other. 


CHAPTER IX. 

“Saved by Water;” or, The Figure of the Ark. 

When his “burial” theory is exploded, the exclu¬ 
sive immersionist makes a bee line for Noah’s ark 
for safety. This is his last stand and he hopes to 
“launch out into the deep” far enough so that the 
affusionist sharpshooters cannot reach him. 

“Eight souls were saved by water,” and “the like 
figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save 
us” are quoted with an air of triumph. Let us see 
what the Bible says about this “figure.” 

1 Peter iii. 18-22: “For Christ also hath once suf¬ 
fered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might 
bring us to God , being put to death in the flesh, but 
quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and 
preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime 
were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of 
God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was 
a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were 
saved by water. The like figure whereunto even bap¬ 
tism doth also now save us (not the putting a\Vay of 
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good con¬ 
science toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right 
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers 
being made subject unto him.” 

Genesis vi. 13-16: “And God said unto Noah, The 
end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is 
filled with violence through them; and, behold, I 

(59) 


60 


BAPTISM 


will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an 
ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the 
ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch. 
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: 
The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, 
the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it 
thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the 
ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the 
door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with 
lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.” 

Genesis vii. 5, 7, 10, 12, 16, 17: “And Noah did 
according unto all that the Lord commanded him. 

. . . And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, 
and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of 
the waters of the flood. . . . And it came to pass 
after seven days, that the waters of the flood were 
upon the earth. . . . And the rain was upon the 

earth forty days and forty nights. . . . And they 

that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as 
God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in. 
And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the 
waters increased, and hare up the ark , and it was 
lift up above the earth.” 

Hebrew xi. 7: “By faith Noah, being warned of 
God of things not seen as yet , moved with fear, pre¬ 
pared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which 
he condemned the world, and became heir of the 
righteousness which is by faith.” 

“ The Like Figure.” 

We now have the figure before us drawn by the 
word of God. 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


61 


“The door of the ark” was “set in the side thereof .” 

11 By faith Noah ” entered into the ark and submitted 
himself and family to the Lord. “And the Lord shut 
him in.” 

“The windows of heaven were opened. And the 
rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” 

“ And the waters . . . bare up the ark, and it was 
lift up above the earth.” 

The Ark as a Figure of Christ. 

1. As “the door of the ark” was in the side, so 
Christ’s side was opened and forthwith came out 
“water and blood.” 

2. “By faith” one enters Christ as he submits 
himself to him, and becomes “heir of the righteous¬ 
ness which is by faith.” 

3. Then “the windows of heaven” are “opened” 
and the floods of mercy and cleansing come from 
above. 

4. And, like the ark, Christ will land one in the 
higher altitudes of life. 

“ Even Baptism Doth Also Now Save Us.” 

(“Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”); 
not enough water is needed to wash “away the filth 
of the flesh.” 

“But the answer of a good conscience toward God” 
not toward man’s theory, but toward God. It comes 
by that baptism brought about “by the resurrection 
of Jesus Christ,” the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 

i. 5). 

As the flood came by affusion of sprinkling and 


62 


BAPTISM 


pouring, so baptism has always represented the com¬ 
ing of the Holy Spirit. 

11 Saved by Water” 

Peter, the writer of the epistle from which this 
lesson is taken, tried the water route to Jesus on one 
occasion (Matt. xiv. 28-31), and his experience 
was so disappointing that he certainly knew what he 
was about when he wrote about the “eight souls” 
that were “saved by water.” 

1. The ark saved Noah and his family by keeping 
them out of the water. They were saved from water. 

2. The rain fell upon the earth; the earth was not 
dipped into the rain. 

3. The “bow of promise” which God placed in the 
clouds was made by the sun shining through falling 
water which was being poured and sprinkled upon 
the earth. 

4. Only those who were immersed were lost. 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. One wing of immersionists claims that they 
“baptize in order to salvation;” that in the act of 
dipping one’s sins are “washed away.” Hence un¬ 
less one is immersed one is not baptized, and if not 
baptized one is not saved. 

2. The other wing claims that immersion does not 
save, and that after one is really converted there is 
no chance finally to lose his salvation. Then he 
turns around and declares that one must be immersed 
by one of his particular “faith and order” to be en¬ 
titled to “church fellowship” and the benefits of 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


63 


church life. One is not saved by water in immersion, 
and yet one cannot be saved without it, is their 
slogan. 

The “eight souls” that were “saved by water” did 
not go through the water to get into the ark or to 
remain in the ark. 

The first wing of immersionists says in reference to 
being saved “by water”: “It does, but it doesn’t.” 

The second wing of immersionists says in reference 
to being saved “by water”: “It doesn’t, but it 
does.” See? 


CHAPTER X. 

Baptism According to Agreement. 

1 John v. 8, 9: “There are three that bear witness 
in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: 
and these three agree in one. If we receive the wit¬ 
ness of men, the witness of God is greater.’* 

1. The Holy Spirit. 

Joel ii. 28, 29: “And it shall come to pass after¬ 
ward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; 
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men 
shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon 
the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” 

Matthew iii. 11: “I indeed baptize you with water 
unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is 
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and 
with fire.’’ 

Acts i. 5: “For John truly baptized with water; 
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not 
many days hence.” 

Acts i. 8: “Ye shall receive power, after that the 
Holy Ghost is come upon you.” 

Acts ii. 3, 4: “And there appeared unto them 
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of 
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 
and began to speak with other tongues, as the 
Spirit gave them utterance.” 

(64) 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


65 


Acts ii. 16, 17: “ But this is that which was spoken 
by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in 
the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit 
upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, 
and your old men shall dream dreams.” 

Acts x. 44, 45: ‘‘While Peter yet spake these words, 
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the 
word. And they of the circumcision which believed 
were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because 
that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of 
the Holy Ghost.” 

Acts xi. 15, 16: “And as I began to speak, the 
Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 
Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that 
he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye 
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” 

Acts ii. 33: “ And having received of the Father the 
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, 
which ye now see and hear.” 

Acts xix. 2, 6: “Have ye received the Holy Ghost 
since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have 
not so much as heard whether there be any Holy 
Ghost. . . . And when Paul had laid his hands 

upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them.” 

Romans v. 5: “And hope maketh not ashamed; 
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by 
the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” 

Titus iii. 5, 6: “Not of works of righteousness 
which we have done, but according to his mercy he 
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and re- 
5 


66 


BAPTISM 


newing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us 
abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” 

2 . Water. 

1 Corinthians x. 1, 2, 4: “Moreover, brethren, I 
would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our 
fathers were under the cloud , and all passed through 
the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the 
cloud and in the sea.” 

Psalm lxxvii. 16,17, 19, 20: “ The waters saw thee, 
O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the 
depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out 
water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also 
went abroad. . . . Thy way is in the sea, and thy 
path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not 
known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by 
the hand of Moses and Aaron.” 

Numbers viii. 7: “And thus shalt thou do unto 
them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying 
upon them.” 

Numbers xix. 18-21: “And a clean person shall take 
hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it . . . 
upon the persons that were there. . . . And the 

clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the 
third day, and on the seventh day. . . . But the 
man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify him¬ 
self, that soul shall be cut off from among the con¬ 
gregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the 
Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprin¬ 
kled upon him; he is unclean. And it shall be a perpet¬ 
ual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the 
water of separation shall wash his clothes.” 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


67 


Hebrews ix. 19: “For when Moses had spoken 
every precept to all the people according to the law, 
he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water , 
and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the 
book, and all the people.” 

Isaiah lii. 15: “So shall he [Christ] sprinkle many 
nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: 
for that which had not been told them shall they see; 
and that which they had not heard shall they con¬ 
sider.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean 
water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your 
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” 

Matthew iii. 11: “I indeed baptize you with 
water.” 

Acts x. 47: “ Can any man forbid water , that these 
should not be baptized, which have received the 
Holy Ghost as well as we?” 

3. The Blood . 

Leviticus vii. 14: “It shall be the priest’s that 
sprinkleth the blood.” 

Leviticus xiv. 5-7: “And the priest shall command 
that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel 
over running water: as for the living bird, he shall 
take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the 
hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in 
the blood of the bird that was killed over the running 
water: and he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be 
cleansed.” 

Leviticus xvi. 14: “And he shall take of the blood 
of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the 


68 


BAPTISM 


mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat 
shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven 
times.” 

Leviticus xiv. 51: “And he shall take the cedar 
wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living 
bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and 
in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven 
times.” 

Hebrews ix. 13, 14: “For if the blood of bulls and of 
goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the un¬ 
clean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how 
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through 
the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, 
purge your conscience from dead works to serve the 
living God?” 

Hebrews xi. 28: “Through faith he kept the pass- 
over, and the sprinkling of blood.” 

Hebrews xii. 24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the 
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling , that 
speaketh better things than that of Abel.” 

1 Peter i. 2: “ Elect according to the foreknowledge 
of God the Father, through sanctification of the 
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of 
Jesus Christ.” 

The Scriptures declare that the Spirit was “poured 
out,” “shed forth,” “sat upon,” “fell upon.” 

The Scriptures declare the water was “sprinkled,” 
“poured out,” “brought.” 

The Scriptures declare that the blood* was “sprin¬ 
kled.” 

And in each case was applied to the person. 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


69 


Are we affusionists great sinners when we take the 
Book, stick to its teaching, and keep its harmony? 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSION1STS. 

1. That in order to have “union” and unity in the 
body of Christ is for the affusionists to renounce their 
“baptism according to the Scriptures” and submit to 
their special brand of dipping. 

Why don’t all the immersionists get together and 
quit fighting each other? There is no harmony 
among themselves, and no agreement among them 
as to the purpose of baptism. Light will not mix 
with darkness. The Baptists will not accept the 
immersion of other Christian bodies and insist on 
doing the job over when one comes to them from all 
who are not of their own “faith and order,” thus 
making all baptisms false except their own. 

2. They claim to “stick to the Book,” and at the 
same time refuse to be governed by the Old Testa¬ 
ment law of baptism. There can be no agreement as 
long as they read into the Bible what they cannot 
read out of the Bible. The Bible is one harmonious 
whole and it takes the entire Book to give a complete 
record of God’s will to man. We must read out of 
it only what .God has put in it. 


CHAPTER XI. 

Baptism of Nations and Households. 

Nations. 

1 Corinthians x. 1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I 
would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all 
our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed 
through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in 
the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same 
spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual 
drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that 
followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 

Isaiah Hi. 15: “So shall he sprinkle many nations; 
the kings shall shut their mouths at him; .for that 
which had not been told them shall they see; and that 
which they had not heard shall they consider.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 24, 25: “For I will take you from 
among the heathen, and gather you out of all 
countries, and will bring you into your own land. 
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you , and ye 
shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all 
your idols, will I cleanse you.” 

Matthew xxviii. 18-20: “And Jesus came and 
spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me 
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach 
all nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have com¬ 
manded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world. Amen.” 

( 70 ) 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 71 
Households. 

1. Household of Cornelius. 

Acts x. 44, 47, 48: While Peter yet spake these 
words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard 
the word. . . . Can any man forbid water , that 

these should not be baptized , which have received the 
Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them 
to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” 

2. Household of Lydia. 

Acts xvi. 14, 15: “And a certain woman named Ly¬ 
dia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which 
worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord 
opened, that she attended unto the things which 
were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized , 
and her household , she besought us, saying, If ye 
have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into 
my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” 

3. The Jailer. 

Acts xvi. 32-34: “And they spake unto him the 
word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 
And he took them the same hour of the night, and 
washed their stripes; and was baptized , he and all his , 
straightway. And when he had brought them into 
his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, 
believing in God with all his house.” 

4. Household of Stephanas. 

1 Corinthians i. 16: “And I baptized also the 
household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether 
I baptized any other.” 

1 Corinthians xvi. 15, 16: “I beseech you, brethren, 
(ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first- 


72 


BAPTISM 


fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted them¬ 
selves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit 
yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth 
with us, and laboreth.” 

Christian Households To Be Recognized . 

Romans xvi. 10: “Salute them which are of Aristo- 
bulus’ household.” 

Romans xvi. 11: “Greet them that be of the house¬ 
hold of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.” 

2 Timothy iv. 19: “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and 
the household of Onesiphorus.” 

2 John 1-4, 10, 11: “The elder unto the elect lady 
and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I 
only, but also all they that have known the truth. 
For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall 
be with us forever. Grace be with you, mercy, and 
peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walk¬ 
ing in truth, as we have received a commandment 
from the Father. ... If there come any unto 
you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not 
into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he 
that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil 
deeds.” 


Place of Children in the Kingdom of God. 

Genesis xviii. 19: “For I know him, that he will 
command his children and his household after him, 
and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice 
and judgment.” 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 73 

Proverbs xxii. 6: “Train up a child in the way he 
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart 
from it.” 

Mark x. 13-16: “And they brought young children 
to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples 
rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus 
saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, 
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid 
them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I 
say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the king¬ 
dom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon 
them, and blessed them.” 

Matthew xviii. 1-6, 10: “At the same time came 
the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest 
in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a 
little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be con¬ 
verted, and become as little children, ye shall not 
enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoeve^ 
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, 
the same is greatest in the kindgom of heaven. And 
whoso shall receive one such little child in my name 
receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these 
little ones which believe in me, it were better for him 
that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and 
that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. . . . 
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little 
ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels 
do always behold the face of my Father which is in 
heaven.” 

Acts ii. 39: “For the promise is unto you, and to 


74 


BAPTISM 


your children , and to all that are afar off, even as 
many as the Lord our God shall call.” 

Ephesians vi. 1-4: “Children, obey your parents 
in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and 
mother; which is the first commandment with 
promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou 
mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, 
provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them 
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” 

2 Timothy i. 5: “When I call to remembrance the 
unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in 
thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and 
I am persuaded that in thee also.” 

2 Timothy iii. 15: “And that from a child thou hast 
known the holy scriptures, which are able to make 
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in 
Christ Jesus.” 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE 1MMERSIONISTS. 

1. In assuming that there were no little children 
in any of the households mentioned in the Bible. 
The burden of proof Is on them. The principle is the 
same in case there were none, for all who were in those 
households were baptized on the faith of those who 
were at the head of those households. 

2. They are in great error when they declare that 
children are “not only born sinful, but sinners,” 
and in order to keep them out of hell when they die 
in infancy, must invent a way to save them—viz., 
“God regenerates them in the hour and article of 
death.” According to the Scriptures they are “of 
the kingdom,” and even “little ones believe” in 


ACCORDING to THE SCRIPTURES. 7S 

Jesus Christ. Was Jesus guilty of taking little 
devils “up in his arms” and blessing them? Hardly. 
The child is born in the kingdom and will remain in 
the kingdom until it sins out of the kingdom. If 
one accepts Jesus Christ as one’s personal Saviour at 
the “forks of the road,” that one will receive the 
witness of the Spirit and is thus regenerated or 
“born of the Spirit.” If the child dies before it 
reaches the age of accountability, it is saved as any 
one else dying in the kingdom of God. 

3. The error of ‘'believer’s baptism” has created a 
great prejudice against Bible baptism for households. 
In this dogma they assert that only those who 
“repent and believe” are subjects of baptism, which, 
they say, leaves out little children. 

Affusionists believe in “believer’s baptism” also, 
and -believe in it so strongly that they have all their * 
children baptized by “believing” in God and their 
children. Question for the exclusive immersionists: 
When one has all his children baptized, is that not a 
household? and is there any other way to baptize a 
“nation” or a household except to baptize every one 
in that nation or household, and does not that include 
the children also? 

Adults have to “repent and believe.” Little chil¬ 
dren are not sinners and need no repentance, hence it 
is proper for parents or guardians to believe for them 
as in case of circumcision. It is a noticeable fact that 
immersionists baptize very young people, especially 
if they can get them before some one else does. 


CHAPTER XII. 

Biblical Summary. 

The Old Testament Church an Affusion Church. 

1 Corinthians x. 1, 2: “All our fathers were under 
the cloud , and all passed through the sea; and were all 
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” 

Numbers xiv. 14: “Thy cloud standeth over them.” 

Psalm lxxvii. 17: “The clouds poured out water.” 

Exodus xiv. 22: “The children of Israel went into 
the midst of the sea upon the dry ground.” 

Exodus xv. 19: “The children of Israel went on 
dry land in the midst of the sea.” 

Numbers viii. 7: “Thus shalt thou do unto them, 
to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon 
them.” 

Numbers xix. 18: “A clean person shall take 
hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it . . . 

upon the persons that were there.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean water 
upon you.” 

Isaiah Hi. 15: “So shall he sprinkle many nations.” 

The New Testament Church Continues an Affusion 
Church. 

John i. 25: “Why baptizeth thou then, if thou be 
not that Christ?” 

Luke vii. 24: “And when the messengers of John 
were departed, he began to speak unto the people 
concerning John, What went ye out into the wilder- 
(76) 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 77 

ness for to see? A reed [hyssop] shaken with the 
wind?” 

Luke vii. 27: “This is he, of whom it is written, 
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which 
shall prepare thy way before thee.” 

Matthew v. 17: “Think not that I am come to 
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to 
destroy, but to fulfill.” 

Acts i. 5: “For John truly baptized with water; 
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not 
many days hence.” 

Acts ii. 16, 17: “This is that which was spoken by 
the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last 
days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all 
flesh.” 

Acts xxii. 16: “Arise, and be baptized, and wash 
away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” 
Baptized by “one Ananias, a devout man according 
to the law , having a good report of all the Jews which 
dwelt there.” (Acts xxii. 12.) 

Acts x. 47: “Can any mein forbid water, that these 
should not be baptized, which have received the 
Holy Ghost as wejl as we?” 

Acts ii. 39: “For the promise is unto you, and to 
your children.” 

Acts xvi. 15: “And when she was baptized, and 
her household.” 

Acts xvi. 33: “And was baptized, he and all his, 
straightway.” 

Matthew xxviii. 19: “Teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost.” 


78 


BAPTISM 


“These Three Agree in One ” as to Mode. 

1. Spirit. 

Joel ii. 28: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all 
flesh.” 

Acts x. 44: “Fell on all them which heard the 
word.” 

Acts x.*45: “On the Gentiles also was poured out 
the gift of the Holy Ghost.” 

2. Water. 

Numbers viii. 7: “Tocleanse them: Sprinkle water 
of purifying upon them.” 

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25: “Then will I sprinkle clean 
water upon you.” 

Acts xxii. 16: “Arise, and be baptized.” 

Acts x. 47: “Can any man forbid water?” 

3. Blood. 

Leviticus vii. 14: “It shall be the priest’s that 
sprinkleth the blood.” 

Leviticus xiv. 51: “And he shall take the cedar 
wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living 
bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and 
in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven 
times.” 

Hebrews xi. 28: “Through faith he kept the pass- 
over, and the sprinkling of blood.” 

1 Peter i. 2: “ Unto obedience and sprinkling of the 
blood of Jesus Christ.” 

ERRORS OF EXCLUSIVE IMMERSIONISTS. 

1. One grave error among the immersionists is 
that they do not take the Bible as a connected whole, 


ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 


79 


some going so far as to declare that “the Old Testa- 
ment has been done away in Christ.” They are 
forced to do this in order to save their argument in 
favor of the unscriptural dogma of immersion. They 
would set aside the larger part of the Bible, which 
includes the moral law, in order to make room for 
their dipping for baptism. When they are asked to 
present one verse of Scripture which says one word 
about immersion, they begin to hum and haw and 
dodge, and run to hunt some Greek lexicon, or book 
written by one of their wise ones. Why don’t they 
stick to the Book? Is it not large enough and wise 
enough to give answer to this question? They seem 
not to think so, as most of the immersion sects have 
gotten out translations of their own that translate 
“baptism” as “immersion.” Alexander Campbell, 
in his translation of the New Testament called “The 
Living Oracles,” makes his Bible say (Matt. iii. 13, 
16): “Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, 
to be immersed by John. . . . Jesus being im¬ 

mersed, no sooner arose out of the water, than heaven 
was opened to him.” And in Acts i. 5 his book reads: 
“For John, indeed, immersed in water, but ye shall 
be immersed in the Holy Spirit, within a few days.” 

The Baptists have gone almost as far as Campbell 
in their late edition. Wherever the word “baptize” 
is found they insert the word “immerse” in brackets 
immediately following in order to make the impres¬ 
sion on the readers of their Bible that the word 
“baptism” means only “immersion.” All this ado 
about baptism starts with the immersionists, who are 
not satisfied with the Bible a3 it ha^ been handed 


80 


BAPTISM. 


down to us and have been trying to get the world to 
change it for their special benefit. But will they 
succeed? I wot not. 

2. Another grave error among the immersionists 
is their exclusiveness and unscriptural sectarianness. 
They are all split up among themselves over the 
purpose and use of the Christian Sacraments, Bap¬ 
tism and the Lord’s Supper. One baptizes “unto 
remission of sins,” while another denies this as their 
purpose; and at the same time they deny “Church 
fellowship” to all who have not been labeled by 
them, even though they have been immersed. They 
are not only split up among themselves, but they 
are doing all in their power to split up other Chris¬ 
tian bodies in order to have a field in which to do 
their proselyting and add to their own membership. 
They have their minds made up to capture all the 
affusionists sooner or later. Some they hope to ’get 
by marriage, others by persuasion, still others by 
Sunday schools, etc. 

I am not for sale. Are you? 


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